Because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23
Spiritual journeys are precisely as they sound. They are a journey. I have often thought that wouldn’t it be nice if at salvation there was an automatic download of all spiritual knowledge and wisdom necessary to peacefully and righteously navigate the remainder of our days on earth. The Bible instructs us in numerous verses to seek wisdom and knowledge from God in all circumstances. “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5). There are many definitions of wisdom. Still, one of my favorites is; “putting our understanding or knowledge to use.” It is such a simple description to explain a process encompassing a complex combination of circumstances, emotions, and variable amounts of time. Gaining wisdom can be a journey, or it can be somewhat instantaneous. If you put your hand on a hot stove, you learn that a hot stove burns your hand, and instantly, you are wise enough not to do that again, hopefully! Reading about and knowing about God’s sovereignty is the first step, but believing in and accepting the sovereignty of God is gaining wisdom, and that is where the journey often comes into play. One of my favorite sayings is, “You don’t know what you don’t know.” I’ve discovered that it can also be applied to Biblical wisdom. The transformative power of God’s wisdom is life-changing and gives us hope.
Our lives are a series of circumstances, each providentially ordered by God to draw us closer to Him and glorify Him. This is the purpose of life in a nutshell. The good, bad, ugly, joyful, tear-filled days all serve this singular purpose in God’s eyes. Interestingly, the darkest days often lead to the most profound insights, shining a light on our Savior and His faithfulness. Just because we’ve gained wisdom from a Biblical principle in one circumstance doesn’t mean we’ve reached the end of our journey. There’s always more to learn and more wisdom to gain. We don’t know what we don’t know, and that’s the beauty of our spiritual journey.
God has entrenched me in the Book of John for over a year, and this summer’s Bible study has brought me to Lamentations. From John’s testimony, Jesus’s miracles, His profound “I AM” statements, Jesus’s last days, arrest, trial, death, burial, and resurrection, John’s gospel affirms that Jesus is the Son of God, He can be trusted, and He is faithful to His word and to us. I cannot remember a time when I did not believe in the sovereignty of God and His faithfulness in my life, but I freely admit it has had its shallow points. Believing and remembering don’t always go hand in hand. We often forget God’s faithfulness throughout our lives, and God has to allow the circumstances of life to remind us, gain greater wisdom, and engrain us with an unwavering faith that does not forget. Because we are human, this happens repeatedly in our lives and is often painful. Clinging to God’s sovereignty and remembering his faithfulness during those times is imperative to maintain the proper perspective, God’s perspective, and come out on the other side with wisdom to share and grateful that God allowed us the opportunity to know Him deeper and love Him more because He first loved us. And that’s your Tuesday Tidbit.
The picture is of the Cape Fear Bridge in Wilmington, NC, during our most recent tropical storm last week. It’s a beautiful illustration of God’s faithfulness even in the midst of a storm. The photo is from WECT, taken by Venita Jenkins.